The New Zealand Open took place at the start of the year in Auckland. Sponsored and promoted by GM Murray Chander, the event was held at the National Chess Centre in Devonport. The tournament was a giant swiss of 115 players over nine rounds and included players from 13 countries headed by four overseas grandmasters. Apart from the prize money, the title of New Zealand Champion was at stake for the highest placed domestic players.
Top seed was English GM David Howell, but a pleasing result was the dominance of a female player: GM Zhao Xue of China, who last played in in New Zealand in the Queenstown Classic three years ago. Zhao conceded only two draws to finished first on 8/9, a point ahead of Howell, GM Klaus Bischoff of Germany, GM Allan Stig Rasmussen of Denmark and CM Eu Wen Aron Teh of Malaysia. A massive coincidence of results in the final round meant that no less than ten players shared the title of New Champion on 6/9: IM Russell Dive, FM Nic Croad, FM Ben Hague, IM Paul Garbett, IM Anthony Ker, Gino Thornton, FM Bob Smith, NM Leonard McLaren, WIM Alexandra Jule and Gordon Morell.
Today's game is from the sixth round and features a smooth win by Zhao with the white pieces against Dive.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Nd2
Declining Black's offer of transposing to a Bogo-Indian Defence and staying with the Catalan. 4... O-O 5.Bg2 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.O-O cxd4
An alternative to this exchange, which brings the Catalan bishop into play, is the developing move 7... Nc6 with even chances. 8.Nxd4 e5 9.Nc2 Bxd2
Parting with bishop for knight is forced, leaving White with the two bishops. 10.Bxd2 dxc4 11.Ne3 Nc6 12.Nxc4 Be6 13.Rc1 Bd5?!
Surprisingly this exchange of the strong Catalan bishop is the start of Black's troubles. A good alternative was 13... Rc8!, as the pawn sacrifice 14.Bxc6 Rxc6 15.Nxe5 is only temporary after 15... Rxc1 16.Bxc1 Qa5 17.Bf4 Qxa2 regaining the pawn with a queenside majority. 14.Bg5! Bxg2 15.Kxg2 h6
Black can't avoid the weakening of his kingside pawns e.g. 15... Qxd1 16.Rfxd1 Ne4 17.Be3 Rfd8 (17... h6?! 18.Rd7 is worse) 18.f3 Nf6 19.Bg5 exchanging on f6 anyway. 16.Qxd8 Rfxd8 17.Bxf6! gxf6 18.Rfd1 b5 19.Nd2 Nd4?!
Better was 19... Rac8 opposing rooks on the c-file. 20.e3 Ne6 21.Ne4 Kg7
Trying to defend tactically also leads to a significant White advantage: 21... Rxd1 22.Rxd1 f5!? 23.Nc3! (23.Nd6?! Rd8 pinning the knight with only a small plus after 24.Kf1 a6 25.Ke2 Ng7) 23... a6 24.Rd5 b4 25.Na4 f6 26.Nb6 and Black will lose a pawn. 22.Nd6 Kg6 23.f4!
Avoiding 23.Nxb5?! Rdb8 when Black will win back the pawn on b2 and activate his rook. Instead White intends to open the f-file and target the weak black kingside pawns. 23... Ng7 24.fxe5 fxe5 25.Rc6 f6 26.Rf1 Rf8 27.Ra6!
Here is was safe to win the pawn on b5, but the grandmaster prefers to tie the black rook to a8 and attack on the kingside. 27... b4 28.g4 h5 29.Ne4! hxg4
If 29... Ne8 30.g5 wins the f6 pawn. 30.Nxf6 Nf5 31.Nd7+ Kh5!?
Trying to retain the exchange as 31... Kg5 32.Nxf8 Rxf8 33.Kg1 is winning comfortably for White. 32.Kg1!
The only winning move – Black's pieces are too loose to survive. 32.Nxf8? Nxe3+ is merely equal. 32... Rf7 33.Nxe5 Rff8 34.Ng6 Rf7 35.Nf4+ Kh4 36.e4 Resigns
If Black saves the knight he loses a rook instead - e.g. 36... Nd4 37.Ng2+ etc.
Ten share New Zealand Championship
Problem: White to play and mate in 5.
The New Zealand Open took place at the start of the year in Auckland. Sponsored and promoted by GM Murray Chander, the event was held at the National Chess Centre in Devonport. The tournament was a giant swiss of 115 players over nine rounds and included players from 13 countries headed by four overseas grandmasters. Apart from the prize money, the title of New Zealand Champion was at stake for the highest placed domestic players.
Top seed was English GM David Howell, but a pleasing result was the dominance of a female player: GM Zhao Xue of China, who last played in in New Zealand in the Queenstown Classic three years ago. Zhao conceded only two draws to finished first on 8/9, a point ahead of Howell, GM Klaus Bischoff of Germany, GM Allan Stig Rasmussen of Denmark and CM Eu Wen Aron Teh of Malaysia. A massive coincidence of results in the final round meant that no less than ten players shared the title of New Champion on 6/9: IM Russell Dive, FM Nic Croad, FM Ben Hague, IM Paul Garbett, IM Anthony Ker, Gino Thornton, FM Bob Smith, NM Leonard McLaren, WIM Alexandra Jule and Gordon Morell.
Today's game is from the sixth round and features a smooth win by Zhao with the white pieces against Dive.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.g3 Bb4+
4.Nd2
Declining Black's offer of transposing to a Bogo-Indian Defence and staying with the Catalan.
4... O-O
5.Bg2 d5
6.Nf3 c5
7.O-O cxd4
An alternative to this exchange, which brings the Catalan bishop into play, is the developing move 7... Nc6 with even chances.
8.Nxd4 e5
9.Nc2 Bxd2
Parting with bishop for knight is forced, leaving White with the two bishops.
10.Bxd2 dxc4
11.Ne3 Nc6
12.Nxc4 Be6
13.Rc1 Bd5?!
Surprisingly this exchange of the strong Catalan bishop is the start of Black's troubles. A good alternative was 13... Rc8!, as the pawn sacrifice 14.Bxc6 Rxc6 15.Nxe5 is only temporary after 15... Rxc1 16.Bxc1 Qa5 17.Bf4 Qxa2 regaining the pawn with a queenside majority.
14.Bg5! Bxg2
15.Kxg2 h6
Black can't avoid the weakening of his kingside pawns e.g. 15... Qxd1 16.Rfxd1 Ne4 17.Be3 Rfd8 (17... h6?! 18.Rd7 is worse) 18.f3 Nf6 19.Bg5 exchanging on f6 anyway.
16.Qxd8 Rfxd8
17.Bxf6! gxf6
18.Rfd1 b5
19.Nd2 Nd4?!
Better was 19... Rac8 opposing rooks on the c-file.
20.e3 Ne6
21.Ne4 Kg7
Trying to defend tactically also leads to a significant White advantage: 21... Rxd1 22.Rxd1 f5!? 23.Nc3! (23.Nd6?! Rd8 pinning the knight with only a small plus after 24.Kf1 a6 25.Ke2 Ng7) 23... a6 24.Rd5 b4 25.Na4 f6 26.Nb6 and Black will lose a pawn.
22.Nd6 Kg6
23.f4!
Avoiding 23.Nxb5?! Rdb8 when Black will win back the pawn on b2 and activate his rook. Instead White intends to open the f-file and target the weak black kingside pawns.
23... Ng7
24.fxe5 fxe5
25.Rc6 f6
26.Rf1 Rf8
27.Ra6!
Here is was safe to win the pawn on b5, but the grandmaster prefers to tie the black rook to a8 and attack on the kingside.
27... b4
28.g4 h5
29.Ne4! hxg4
If 29... Ne8 30.g5 wins the f6 pawn.
30.Nxf6 Nf5
31.Nd7+ Kh5!?
Trying to retain the exchange as 31... Kg5 32.Nxf8 Rxf8 33.Kg1 is winning comfortably for White.
32.Kg1!
The only winning move – Black's pieces are too loose to survive. 32.Nxf8? Nxe3+ is merely equal.
32... Rf7
33.Nxe5 Rff8
34.Ng6 Rf7
35.Nf4+ Kh4
36.e4 Resigns
If Black saves the knight he loses a rook instead - e.g. 36... Nd4 37.Ng2+ etc.
1-0
Solution: 1.Nd6+! Kh8 2. Rxf8+ Bxf8 3. Qxf6+ Bg7 (3... Kg8 4.Qf7+ Kh8 5.Qxf8#) 4. Qd8+ Bf8 5.Qxf8#.